Improvement in plug-tobacco



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

ROBERT W'. OLIVER, ()F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLUG-TOBACCO.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,989, dated February 5, 1878; application filed December 31, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoBERT W. OLIVER, of Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Plug-Tobacco in Flat Plugs and. I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists in an improved method of forming plug-tobacco, as hereinafter described-namely, by bending the rope of tobacco in'one continuous plane around and upon itself, so as ,to produce a slab of rope-tobacco approximating a rectangle in outline, and then subjecting said slab, free from contact with other slabs, to pressure in a mold in such manner as to close the interstices and square the slab.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is w a perspective view of a square slab formed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating the rope of a perfected slab as partially unfolded.

In carrying out my invention, I take a rope or cord of tobacco, prepared in any of the ways well known to tobaccomanufacturers, and bend the same in one continuous plane around upon itself, so as to produce an oblong slab of rope tobacco approximating a rectangle in outline, and somewhat longer than the mold in which it is squared. This slab A is then pressed and squared in a mold, under pressure of a square-shaped die, and free from contact with any other slabs of tobacco, the pressure being sufficient to close the interstices of the slab and compress the same into the rectangular' shape shown in Fig. 1.

It will be readily understood that the slab, before pressure, should be longer than the mold, so that when pressed therein it will assume the requisite square form and be properly finished at its corners. Where a number of slabs are to be pressed and squared in one mold, square plates will be interposed between the same, so as to keep them entirely free from contact with each other.

labs of tobacco prepared as-above have a rectangular shape, whereby they may be packed and shipped to any climate without liability to mold. Each surface or side of the slab has a smooth finish, the interstices are completely closed, and a desirable article produced.

The rope may be uncoiled, as desired, and cut away in driblets by the consumer in a convenient and economical manner.

I am aware that it is not new to coil a rope of tobacco upon itself in one continuous plane, thus producing a plate or slab of coils, and then compressing the same flatwise, as such is described in Patent No. 85,613, of January 5, 1869; but

What I do claim as my invention isv 1. The improved method of forming plugtobacco herein described-namely, bending the rope of tobacco in one continuous plane around and upon itself, so as to produce a slab of rope-tobacco approximating a rectan gle in outline, and then subjecting said slab, free from contact with other slabs, to pressure in a mold, in such manner as to close the interstices and square the slab, substantially as described.

2. The plug or slab of rope or twist tobacco, rectangular in outline, and flattened and condensed as herein described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ROBERT IV. OLIVER. Witnesses J. H. CLAIBORNE, H. SwINEFoRn. 

